


Lonely No More

by refusetoshine



Series: Season One [7]
Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: F/M, Season/Series 01
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-20
Updated: 2019-10-20
Packaged: 2020-12-27 01:47:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 953
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21110678
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/refusetoshine/pseuds/refusetoshine
Summary: Jean-Luc remembers lonely the entity made him feel.





	Lonely No More

**Author's Note:**

> Based on 1x07 - Lonely Among Us.

Picard walked into sick bay, trying to remember what had happened in the past few hours. Everything was still fuzzy to him. Why had he appeared on the transporter? 

“Jean-Luc!”

He looked up and saw Beverly Crusher, running over to him. She moved him over to the nearest biobed and began running over him with the tricorder. 

“I don’t see any damage done to you,” she said with relief as she put her tricorder away.

“Beverly, what happened to me?” he asked, sitting up on the bed, “Everything’s kind of hazy.”

“You were taken over by some sort of entity,” she explained, “I was too. don’t remember much from it either other than this need to get home.”

Picard stopped to think. He could vaguely remember the entity. He had felt that same need to get home, but he had also felt something else.

“I think it was lonely,” said the captain, “I remember feeling this overwhelming sense of loneliness. I think that’s why it wanted me to go with it.”

\---

_”Jean-Luc.”_

He could hear the secondary voice in his mind but didn’t know where it had come from.

_Who are you?_ he thought.

_A friend_ the voice replied.

_What do you want?_

_I want to be with you Jean-Luc. Forever._

_Why?_

_I know you’re as lonely as I am._

All of Picard’s worst memories began swirling in his head. His upbringing with a father and brother who never supported his dreams and a mother that he’d loved but hadn’t been able to see before she died, the loss of the _Stargazer_, his court martial where his ex-girlfriend had put him through the ringer, Beverly sobbing in his arms when he’d brought Jack home to them…

As more and more memories surfaced, the more alone Picard felt. He just wanted someone to be there with him while he explored the galaxy. Someone who truly cared about him. Someone like this being.

_Come with me_ said the entity _I can show you things you can’t even imagine._

\---  
He felt a hand on his shoulder. Picard looked over at the doctor who had a look of concern on her face.

“It made me feel as lonely as it did,” he continued, “It kept telling me these terrible things.”

“What kind of terrible things?” Beverly asked, not completely sure if she wanted to know the answer.

\---

He heard the door chime for his ready room. He let it ring twice before answering.

_They don’t matter_ said the entity to Picard, _They can wait._

“Come” he said.

Beverly walked in. Picard could tell she was concerned and for a moment, he wanted to ease that concern.

_It’s just a trick, Jean-Luc,_ the entity assured him, _She just wants to break us apart._

_We can’t have that happen, now can we?_ he replied to the entity.

“What do you want?” he asked impatiently.

“Here’s the results of the tests you ordered, Sir,” she said, handing him a holochip.

He took the holochip and tossed it onto the desk. He didn’t have time to care about silly starship matters. Soon he and the entity would be able to travel the galaxy as one being, without being confined to this big metal monstrosity.

“You don’t care to inspect them, sir?” she asked, standing beside him.

He looked at the doctor incredulously. Why would he care about these silly little tests when he needed to prepare for his arrival to his new home?

“Please,” she said, softly, “Are you Jean-Luc?”

_Let me answer her_ the entity demanded.

_As you wish, my dearest_ replied Picard.

“He is here,” he said with a grin.

“The Jean-Luc I know?” she asked

“And more.”

“The more frightens me.”

Picard saw the look in her eyes and began to think of the times he had spent with Beverly over the years, mostly with Jack, but sometimes alone. He remembered her warmth and contentment. He remembered her blue eyes lighting up every time he greeted her, and the way her flame-red hair looked in the sunlight. He began to remember just how much he loved her.

_Jean-Luc_, the entity hissed, _You may love her, but she will never love you_

More thoughts came to Picard. This time it was painful. He thought of the heartache he’d felt at her wedding to Jack, the longing he’d felt when she’d told him about her pregnancy with Wesley, the anguish he’d felt when he’d brought Jack home to her, and the guilt he felt over leaving her to raise Wesley alone. The entity was right. Why had he ever thought that Beverly would love him back?

“And elates us,” he replied, “We wish you could understand the glorious adventure ahead.”

“You and…?”

The entity ignored her now and addressed Picard.

“Soon we’ll both be home.”

\---

Picard swallowed. There was no way he’d be able to explain the exact things the entity had told him. Not without crossing a line that he could never go back over.

“The entity made me feel as if everyone else was against me,” he said finally, “It brought up every feeling of remorse or hurt I had ever felt in order to make me feel as if it was the only thing that cared for me.”

He put his head in his hands. How he had let this alien being manipulate him so well was beyond him. He felt so stupid for letting this creature use every insecurity he had against him.

“Jean-Luc,” came the doctor’s voice, “I know you know, but no one on the _Enterprise_ is against you. I know I certainly am not.”

He turned back to Beverly and gave her a smile.

“I know,” he said, “But it’s nice to hear.”


End file.
